Card-index file.



r III u i i Y Y lill Patented May 20, |902. l

` No. 700,2."9l.v

(No Model.)

UNITED- STATES 1:

v'PATENT EFIcE.

GEORGE E. WATT, oFoiIIcAGo, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 700,391,dated Mayr 20, 1902.

Appucftunn inea my 24, i901.

To a/ZZ whom/it 71mg/ con/"06771,:l 'Y Be it known that I, GEORGE F. WATT, a citizen of ythe'United` States, residing in the city of Chicago, Vcountyof Cook,-and'State of-Illi-;

nois, have inventedanew a'nd useful Improvement in Card-Index Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to card-index files for. the keeping of records upon separate fcards removably retainedin specially-adapted receptacles; and the objects of myinvention are, first, to provide simple and keffective means for removably retaining the cards within the L receptacle; second, to provide means for maintaining the-angle-blockV in any desired, position of adjustment; third, to Yprovide an automatic locking device for insuring the re-i tention of thecardsinthe trayor drawer.

whenthe latter is pushed home inits casing*V and, fourth, to provide the other details more specifically hereinafter: set forth., f IV attain these obj ects by themechanism illustrated by,

the accompanying drawings,A in which- Figure l is a view ofthe complete device, taken in vertical longitudinal'section. Fig. 2 is a plan view in section, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atra'nsverse sectional.

view taken on the line 3.3, Fig.,1. j' Fig.` 4 is a fragmentary View showing the construction of the lower portionof the angle-block in detail. Fig. is a face view of a card," showing the configuration of the retaining-slot.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views;

7' and has a bearing in the front and rearwalls The ysaid rod has the arms la lo rigidly secured g and d, respectively,fofV the drawer.

thereto preferably within and near theextremities of the drawer, and said arms carry at their extremities the retaining-rod m, which thus extends in a direction parallel to the seritiiraeaie. (Naumann ,y

guide-rod i and may .beV swung in Ithe arc of 'acirclev about jsaid yrod c' as a center. v,The

purpose'in thus swingingtherod will ybeevident-if reference be: had tofFig.;5,.Wherein the cardvn'is vshown to' be provided with an inverted- L-shaped slot o, adapted toreceive said retaining-rod -and be retained4 thereby when said rod occupies a position in the horizontalportionof said slot, but-befree to be withdrawn when said, rod occupies' a `position in the'vertical portion'of said'slot. The rod m is swung or rocked to the-desired position by jmeans of the controlling-lever '19, which is pivotally connected to the upper extremityof theforwarid armc andfis,pivotallysupported intermediate of its extremities' by means of i the pin q'.: (Best shown in Figsfl and-3.)

vlnjorder to impart aneat appearance to the :device,andalsofor the purpose of removing the lever 1o and its connections frompossible interference with the cards',-it'isdesirab1e to` i. chamberthe front Wally, so that th'earmla v lever p, and forward portion of theretainingrod m shall be inclosedwithin said front Wall in the vmannerslziown. For convenienceot` manufacture it is preferable toconstruct said front wallg-,in two-parts.- Theparts are so proportioned that the upper extremity ofthe lever p projects above the'rearportion of the front wall, andis'thereby. accessible to the ,f

operator.l Forthe purposeof attaining sym-V metry and avoiding the necessity;v of unduly slottingthe lever patthe piniqsaid lever and connected parts are so arranged that when said lever is at'oneeXtremity'ofits throw saidrrod'lie's at the closed extremity of the horizontal portionof the slot o,andwhen said lever-is at the other extremityli of f its throw saidrod'lies inthe lverticalportion of said slot. f

In order to insure the retention of the cards y in the drawer when the latter is in place within the casing, the block I', theforward face whereof extends obliquely gc'rosswise l of .the drawer, is secured to the rearwall d of the casing in line with the retaining-rod m.- The said rod m projects through the suitably-apertured rear wall h of the drawer in such a Ion` manner that when said drawer is pushed home within the casing the projectingextremity ofzsaid rod will engage said block and, on account of the obliquityof the face of Ythe latter, will be thrown over to such a position as to loci; the cards in place.

Vhen a card is to be withdrawn or inserted, the operator throws the lever p to its extreme position, so that the rod m lies within the vertical portion of the L-shaped slots o of the cards, thus permitting the cards to be moved vertically into or from the drawer. The subsequent locking of the cards is attained by throwing the rod m over into the horizontal portion of the slots o, and this may be accomplished either by the operators throwing the lever 1J or by simply pushing the drawer completely into the casing. In the latter instance the rearwardly-projecting extremity of the rod m will be automaticallyk thrown by means of the locking-block r.

The angle-blockj above mentioned has attached upon the bottom thereof the sleeves s and t for guiding said block upon the rod t'. The sleeve s is rigidly secured at the forward portion of the block, while the sleeve t is hinged to the rear portion thereof, as best shown in Fig. il. The rear extremity of the sleeve t is free to swing vertically through a small are, for the reason that the internal diameter of said sleeve is somewhat greater than the diameter of the rod i. The spring u is secured to the bottom of the block j and tends to depress the rear extremity of said sleeve t and cause the same to bind or cramp the rod z', thus preventing the travel of said block within the drawer. The sleeve is released by means of the lever lo, which is operated by the button w and connected to the rear extremity of said sleeve t by means of the tension rod or wire az. Said lever fu is pivoted between its extremities, the button w and rod a: being connected on opposite sides of the pivot, and the parts are so arranged that the depression of said button causes the raising of the rear extremity of the sleeve t against the force of the spring u. The block j is suitably chambered to receive the rod m and permit the necessarylateral motion thereof. In the adjusting of the angle-block for the accommodation of the number of cards temporarily in use the button is pressed by the operator, which causes the sleeve t to release the guide-rod z' and at the same time permits the operator to move the block backward or forward in the drawer. As soon as the hand of the operator is removed from the button the spring u forces the sleeve if upon the guide-rod and holds the said angle-block j stationary.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A card-index file having an adjustable angle-block, cards provided with slots extending both vertically and horizontally; a pair of rods, whereof one is revolnbly supported in the card-receptacle and forms a guide for the angle-block, and the other of said rods is connected to said guide-rod above the same for entering the slots within the cards, and means for'throwin g said retaining-rod laterally about the guide-rod as an axis.

2. A card-index tile comprising a casing, a drawer sliding therein, cards provided with slot-s extending bot-h vertically and horizontally; a retaining-rod mounted in said drawer and capable of lateral motion for retaining or releasing the cards, said rod having a part projecting beyond the inner extremity of said drawer; and a locking-block secured to said casing, said block having an oblique face for engaging and laterally shifting said retainingrod to retain said cards.

3. In a card-index lile, the combination with the casing and drawer sliding therein, of an adjustable angle-block, cards provided with slots having both horizontal and vertical portions, a guide-rod for said angle-block journaled in the drawer2 arms extending from said guide-rod, a retaining-rod carried by said arms and capable of lateral motion for engaging and releasing said cards, said retainingrod projecting beyond the inner extremity of said drawer, and a locking-block having an oblique face adapted to engage said retaining-rod, whereby said rod is laterally shifted when said drawer is pushed home.

4. In a card-index file, the combination with the card-receptacle of an angle-block, a rod for guidingthe same, a spring secured thereto, a sleeve hinged to said block and loosely encircling said guide-rod, said spring forcing said sleeve against said rod for cramping the latter to thereby prevent the travel of said angle-block, a lever mounted in said `angleblock, said lever being connected to said sleeve for raising the same free from said rod, and means for operating said lever.

5. In a card-index iile the combination with the card-receptacle of an angle-block, a rod for guiding the same, a spring secured to said block, a sleeve hinged to said block and loosely encircling said guide-rod, said spring forcing said sleeve against said rod for cramping the latter to thereby prevent the travel of said angle-block, a lever mounted in said block, and pivoted between its ends, a rod connecting said lever to said sleeve for raising the latter free from said rod and a button secured to said lever, said button and sleeve-operating rod being on opposite sides of the leverpivot, whereby the pressing of said button releases said sleeve.

6. In a card-index file, the combination of a drawer for containing the cards, a casing for inclosing said drawer, cards provided with slots having portions extending horizontally and vertically, an adjustable angle-block, a guide-rod for said angle-block journaled in the ends of the drawer, arms extending from said guide-rod, a retaining-rod carried by said arms and capable of lateral motion for engaging and releasing said cards, said retainingrod projecting beyond the inner extremity of said drawer, a locking-block secured to said casing, and having an oblique face for shift- Ido IIO

ing said guide-rod,'a sleeve hinged to said said lever and said sleeve whereby the latterf angle-block and loosely encircling said guidemay be released from the guide-rod.y rod, a spring secured-to said angle-block and operating upon said sleeve to force the latter Y GEORGE F WATT' 5 against said rod, a lever-pivotally mounted in Witnesses:

said angle-block, a hand-operated button at- CHARLES L. .HERRICK, tached to said lever, and connections between ARTHUR M. 00X. 

